Curriculum
Curriculum
Art and Design at WBCA provides a broad and balanced curriculum that is comprehensive and accessible to all pupils. We aim to develop pupils’ understanding and give meaning to the world around us through Art. Art has an impact on everyone and is a valuable subject where pupils are allowed to explore and express their individuality here at WBCA. The curriculum provides substantial skills, linked with cross curricular themes that embed a knowledge rich foundation on which pupils build as they progress. Throughout our curriculum, we aim to provide students with exciting opportunities where students’ perspectives are encouraged to expand through a range of cultural, social, and practical opportunities. We foster a culture of creative thinking and resilience, producing high value outcomes, where students learn how to become successful, persist within their practice and celebrate their progress, in turn offering pupils the chance to overcome challenges that they are likely to encounter in life.
Aims
- To embed proficiency in drawing, painting, printing, sculpture and other art, craft, and design techniques.
- To develop a pupil’s critical understanding of great artists, craftspeople, and designers while underpinning this with sound historical and cultural development and knowledge of the art world.
- For pupils to respond imaginatively to their critical and contextual knowledge, thematic research and use prior learning of skills, techniques, and processes to inspire their artwork.
- To understand how to communicate meaningful ideas, analyse their effectiveness, and foster their ability to problem solve and build resilience that will develop their self-expression and realise their intentions.
- To build on their skills progressively and in complexity over time, allowing pupils to make informed and independent choices about their work.
- To cultivate an environment of positive learners who enjoy learning, understand how to make progress, engage with purpose, and take pride in celebrating their success.
Key Stage 3 Learning
Techniques and processes are sequenced through KS3 to ensure skills are built upon scaffolded learning. As KS3 progresses, greater depth of technique and knowledge are implemented and creative thinking and risk taking are introduced and developed to produce confident pupils who are secure within their work. Themed projects with cross curricular links strengthen our processes and embed knowledge through different levels of learning. Emphasis on practical exploration and making are key to our pupil’s success at KS3. We develop their skills from KS2 and provide a foundation on which to build pupils skills and grow their proficiency as they progress through KS3.
Key Stage 3 Links
Art Curriculum Map
Key Stage 4
KS4 offers pupils the opportunity to explore in-depth Art practices focusing on open ended topics where they can truly develop their sense of prowess and place in the current world relating to Art. We encourage pupils to take risks and stretch their abilities to discover new avenues of learning through practical outcomes, creative thinking and critical analysis of their own work and the work of others. We provide a foundation of skills and teaching which guides pupils to understand the criteria objectives and develop their understanding of the Art and Design course. Relevant content relating to the topic, artists we explore, and outcomes also guide them to unseen possibilities that they could pursue outside of school life, continued with specific cross curricular opportunities to further embed their knowledge and develop these links. Pupils are encouraged to develop their skills and a deep understanding of what they are responding to and producing artwork for. Culminating in a collective of practical explorations that are personal and meaningful, contextualised in a manner to underpin their understanding, giving freedom to explore their own ideas and to become independent practitioners and prepare them for KS5 or further life outside of education.
Key Stage 4 Links
How You Can Support Your Child With Art And Design At Home
- Take your child to local museums or galleries and encourage them to observe a range of artworks. Talk to them about what they see, hear, or feel about the artworks. A simple conversation can open up a world of discovery! Tell them your opinions too. Links to local opportunities can be found under the ‘Additional Resources’ section.
- Encourage your child to read a variety of texts related to the Arts. These could include library books we have available at school, online blogs, audiobooks and podcasts. If your child needs support with reading, you can look through the visuals at first and build slowly. Just looking at artworks alone can stimulate learning. Links to what we have available at WBCA and other resources can be found under the ‘Additional Resources’ section.
- Help your child with practical studies by joining in. Grab a pencil and some paper and have ago yourself.
- Websites such as BBC Bitesize offer lots of activities for Art and Design. Here is a link aimed at GCSE – GCSE Art and Design – BBC Bitesize
- Encourage your child to get involved with school led and national Art competitions. We advertise lots of activities in school, from the annual ‘Inktober’ celebration to one off design competitions.
- YouTube has a plethora of Art, Craft and Design activities, from making your own prints to painting a landscape. Encourage your child to participate in some self-learning through this platform. Here’s a link to some fun activities you could do art home to get started – Simple Art Techniques Everyone Can Do – YouTube
- Encourage your child to read our ‘Recommended Reading’ list titles, which can be found under the ‘Key Stage 3 Links’ pages.
Additional Resources
Below is a range of resources, places to visit and links to support students and help them develop their art skills.
Wolverhampton Museums, Galleries & Archives (wolverhamptonart.org.uk)
Lapworth Museum of Geology – University of Birmingham
The Barber Institute of Fine Arts – The Barber Institute of Fine Arts
Ikon Gallery (ikon-gallery.org)
Whitewall Galleries Merry-hill – Contemporary Fine Art Gallery
Students can access a range of free online books and Art related podcasts here by using their MyOn log in. Students also have access to Britannica School.
We also have an exciting range of Art books which can be found in our library, with some of our titles including: